Liverpool fans will still be on cloud nine after their Carabao Cup triumph at the hands of Chelsea on Sunday at Wembley.
It was a monumental evening for Jurgen Klopp in his final season at the club and Liverpool were led by match-winner, Virgil van Dijk.
The 32-year-old was awarded Man of the Match for his performance and winning moment, but Stephen Warnock thinks he was outperformed by his Liverpool teammate.
The former left-back listed Virgil van Dijk himself, goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, defensive brain Wataru Endo and Ibrahima Konate as the ‘exceptional’ performers in the final.
But he thinks it was Ibrahima Konate who deserved the Man of the Match award because he was ‘the outstanding player’ during the showpiece event, as he told The Football Show on Sky Sports.
Even the most ardent of Liverpool fans won’t argue that they didn’t ride their luck, because Chelsea had their moments and they should have buried their opponents long before extra time.
But when you leave that door open to a Jurgen Klopp team, then they are going to make you suffer and punish you.
Ibrahima Konate v Chelsea
“You can go Kelleher, Konate, van Dijk and I thought Endo in midfield as well,” said Warnock. “They were exceptional because they had to be.
“They came under a lot of pressure at times. They stopped a lot of counter-attacks from Chelsea, but the way that they did that by using that experience was outstanding.
“Van Dijk was superb, I know he got given Man of the Match. I actually thought Konate was the Man of the Match. I thought he was the outstanding player in the game, but of course, van Dijk scores the goal and probably pips him to the Man of the Match for that.”
Virgil van Dijk’s replacement at Liverpool
In 2021, Liverpool paid RB Leipzig £36 million for Konate’s talents, and since then, he has been a top performer for the club, but there has been one major issue.
The 24-year-old’s constant injuries are holding him back and stopping him from progressing to even higher heights.
Many will argue that when van Dijk heads for the Anfield exit door, then his replacement is already at the club.
Konate has it all in his locker to be the leading centre-back for Liverpool, winning trophies, as well as being the main man for France.
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